Written Answers Friday 24 July 2009

Scottish Executive

Higher Education

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason bursaries are not available to students over the age of 25.

Fiona Hyslop: The current policy is based on the report of the Cubie Committee, agreed and implemented by the previous administration. This established that young students under 25 from low-income families were underrepresented in higher education. As a result, the young students’ bursary and additional student loan entitlement were both introduced.

  Earlier this year we carried out a consultation on better supporting higher education students and we have allocated £30 million in 2010-11 for this purpose. One of the options in Supporting a Smarter Scotland was to extend bursaries to older students. We are currently analysing the responses and will come forward with proposals later this year.

Higher Education

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the combined maximum grant and loan for students under the age of 25 is significantly more than the maximum loan available to students over the age of 25.

Fiona Hyslop: This policy is based on the report of the Cubie Committee, agreed and implemented by the previous administration, which recommended that the young students’ bursary and additional loan entitlement be introduced to widen access to higher education for students under 25 from low-income families, as this cohort of students were under represented in higher education at that time.

  The Cubie Committee’s report, Cubie – an independent enquiry into student finance, has been placed in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib. number 4126).

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the findings of the final report by the Administrative Justice Steering Group, Administrative Justice in Scotland - The Way Forward , and what actions it plans to take as a consequence.

Kenny MacAskill: This useful report provides a thorough analysis of the current administrative justice system in Scotland. The Administrative Justice Steering Group’s two reports have helped to inform and develop the government’s policy on administrative justice, including on tribunals.

  The Minister for Community Safety spoke at the launch of the report, and announced that we will investigate the case for a Scottish Tribunals Service in light of the report and its predecessor. The report’s findings do not require any formal assessment, but they will contribute to our work to improve public sector complaints mechanisms, deliver better public services, and consider the future governance of Scotland.

Prison Service

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the proposed capacity is of (a) HMP Inverclyde and (b) HMP Highlands.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

  As mandated by Scottish ministers, SPS is seeking to replace the capacity provided by the existing prisons (HMP Greenock and HMP Inverness respectively) and to support the demand for prisoner places from the local communities which will be served by these new prisons. Currently, HMP Greenock holds around 300 prisoners and HMP Inverness accommodates slightly under 200 prisoners therefore the proposed capacity of these new prisons is:

  (a) HMP Inverclyde – 300.

  (b) HMP Highland - 200.

Rape

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of rape were recorded by the police in each of the last 10 years, broken down by police force area.

Kenny MacAskill: The following table contains information on the number of crimes of rape recorded by each of the eight Scottish police forces in each of the last 10 years.

  Number of Crimes of Rape Recorded By The Police, 1998-99 to 2007-08

  

 
 1998-1999
 1999-2000
 2000-2001
 2001-2002
 2002-2003
 2003-2004
 2004-2005
 2005-2006
 2006-2007
 2007-2008


 Central
 19
 4
 17
 37
 50
 51
 45
 62
 80
 91


 Dumfries and Galloway
 27
 39
 16
 20
 16
 26
 20
 29
 21
 25


 Fife
 30
 43
 46
 52
 73
 78
 83
 88
 75
 88


 Grampian
 68
 86
 55
 52
 74
 82
 70
 109
 96
 102


 Lothian and Borders
 146
 91
 130
 138
 173
 181
 240
 220
 203
 170


 Northern
 23
 38
 14
 29
 30
 53
 54
 46
 62
 56


 Strathclyde
 220
 222
 213
 243
 244
 315
 325
 331
 327
 321


 Tayside
 74
 63
 58
 60
 83
 59
 63
 90
 58
 55


 Scotland
 607
 586
 549
 631
 743
 845
 900
 975
 922
 908



  Source: Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services.

Rape

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were (a) prosecuted, (b) convicted and (c) given a custodial sentence in cases involving rape in each of the last 10 years, broken down by police force area.

Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table.

  Persons Proceeded Against in Scottish Courts for Rape1, By Police Force Area 1998-99 to 2007-08

  

 Police Force/Result
 1998-1999
 1999-2000
 2000-2001
 2001-2002
 2002-2003
 2003-2004
 2004-2005
 2005-2006
 2006-2007
 2007-2008


 Central
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Proceeded against
 3
 10
 3
 1
 4
 1
 8
 10
 5
 8


 Charge proved
 3
 2
 1
 0
 2
 1
 1
 4
 3
 2


 Custodial sentence
 2
 2
 1
 0
 2
 1
 1
 4
 3
 1


 Dumfries and Galloway
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Proceeded against
 0
 3
 2
 2
 1
 2
 3
 3
 4
 3


 Charge proved
 0
 1
 2
 1
 1
 0
 0
 1
 0
 3


 Custodial sentence
 0
 1
 2
 1
 1
 0
 0
 1
 0
 3


 Fife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Proceeded against
 16
 5
 2
 8
 7
 3
 11
 12
 8
 3


 Charge proved
 10
 1
 1
 5
 5
 2
 10
 5
 1
 0


 Custodial sentence
 9
 1
 1
 5
 4
 1
 10
 4
 1
 0


 Grampian
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Proceeded against
 9
 6
 2
 4
 4
 5
 7
 3
 7
 9


 Charge proved
 5
 5
 1
 2
 2
 2
 4
 1
 6
 2


 Custodial sentence
 5
 5
 1
 1
 2
 2
 3
 1
 6
 2


 Lothian and Borders
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Proceeded against
 14
 13
 14
 19
 15
 19
 21
 13
 14
 17


 Charge proved
 5
 7
 9
 12
 8
 9
 11
 3
 7
 5


 Custodial sentence
 5
 7
 8
 10
 7
 8
 10
 3
 7
 5


 Northern
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Proceeded against
 1
 3
 0
 3
 5
 3
 8
 6
 2
 8


 Charge proved
 1
 3
 0
 3
 4
 2
 3
 4
 1
 3


 Custodial sentence
 1
 3
 0
 3
 4
 2
 3
 4
 1
 3


 Strathclyde
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Proceeded against
 18
 13
 24
 24
 20
 35
 30
 36
 30
 38


 Charge proved
 12
 8
 11
 20
 15
 17
 15
 20
 15
 19


 Custodial sentence
 11
 7
 9
 18
 15
 16
 15
 18
 15
 19


 Tayside
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Proceeded against
 5
 2
 5
 7
 4
 12
 7
 8
 1
 2


 Charge proved
 1
 0
 3
 3
 2
 6
 3
 3
 0
 0


 Custodial sentence
 1
 0
 2
 3
 2
 6
 3
 3
 0
 0


 Scotland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Proceeded against2
 66
 55
 52
 68
 60
 81
 95
 91
 71
 88


 Charge proved
 37
 27
 28
 46
 39
 39
 47
 41
 33
 34


 Custodial sentence
 34
 26
 24
 41
 37
 36
 45
 38
 33
 33



  Source: Scottish Government Court Proceedings database.

  1. Where main offence at time of sentencing.

  2. Contains one case in 2003-04 where result was not proved and police force was unknown.